Another ICON question

I've looked online for a manual or any information on the Icon and have come up with next to nothing. The only comments I've seen say that the radio works well and has good range. I'll be trying mine out when the weather warms up so we'll see.

Why don't you buy one for the manual and give the plane to me

I'd do that myself, but I've yet to see a RTF one for sale. I have a bunch of the Gravity warbirds, but they didn't come with the radio.

I hope This what You guys r looking 4


come from http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1269743&page=3

engine049 wrote:
I hope This what You guys r looking 4

Like Bernie said
Thanx for the thought.

Hi again, what I'm most interested in is the Rx. These are the immediate questions I have:

1. The servo connectors are not keyed, so is there any problem with just plugging in a servo and having a try, or can that fry something?
2. I presume that the ESC output wires should NOT be shorted if not being used. Is this so?
3. Can the ESC output wires be used for any other purpose if the RX isn't being used in an electric powered model?
4. If so, what precautions must be taken?
5. I received a 7.2v NiMH battery pack with my Icon kit. Is it OK to apply 7.2v to the Rx/servos, or should I remove a couple of cells?

I think that's about all I really need to know for now, except, can I purchase an Rx separately from the Tx/Rx kit which I already bought?

Many thanx for all your help.
Dins

Shouldn't matter what servo you plug into where Dins, just do a spot of trial and error.
Wouldn't have thought chopping output wires would be a problem just make sure they're well
insulated from each other before powering it up
No, don't try to rig anything else up to them.
I'd lay money on there being some sort or BEC/in effect a step down transformer for the
servo outputs so I'm sure your 7.2 will be fine.

IMO
If you're looking at other RX's, is the the right set for you anyway?
Besta Luck

The wires to the plugs on your servos are so arranged that the
positive wire is in the centre. This means you can plug in either way,
correct way fine will work, wrong way won't but no harm done.
Your ESC has has a Bec, battery elimination circuit which provides 4.8v
to about 6v for receiver power, it is the lead with the same plug as your
servos. Plug this in to any port on your receiver that you are not using
for servo output to power up Rx ( receiver). Use your 7.2 v nimh to
supply power to ESC. DONT! use it to power receiver directly. Some
servos only good for 4.8v You will need to insulate ends of output
wires from Esc but no problem shortening them.
Better Way. Remove two cells from 7.2v nimh and use along with a switch
to power Rx. This eliminates need for ESC, You can eliminate switch on
very small model, I usually have short extension lead plugged into RX and
plug battery into this. Plug battery into any port in Rx to power it up. John

proctor wrote:
... but no problem shortening them.

Ahem, I did say "shorting them", not "shortening them", but that's OK. I'm quite sure that shorting them would be terminal for the Rx unit.

proctor wrote:
Better Way. Remove two cells from 7.2v nimh and use along with a switch
to power Rx.

One would usually use use 4 x AA cells (= 6V) to power the Rx and servos. Would it be acceptable therefore, to remove just 1 cell from the 7.2 NiMH pack, making it 6V also?

Yes removing one would be OK to give 6v if you are sure your servos
are OK with 6v. Some are not and chatter when you put 6v to them.
Best to remove two to give 4.8v and it will of course be lighter,
always good. I'm guessing your 7.2v nimh for electric flight is fairly large
capacity required for electric flight. So best to keep it intact and buy a
nimh about 450-600mah for your Rx battery. John
By the way 4 cells = 4.8v 5 cells= 6v

The servo pin-outs are printed on the side of the receiver sleeve: top is servo, middle is positive battery, bottom is negative battery.

Recall coming across something in the last month or so (stumbling around every rc forum I can find) to the effect that some BEC's may act up as the input voltage approaches their design output voltage. If true (I'm no EE), then may not want to use the existing battery inputs with a reduced voltage battery pack (4.8v or 6v): instead 'Y' into one set of the servo pins.

Now a question: which way is the throttle 'off' on the transmitter? It's a slide switch on the back and there isn't label or other indication of which way it goes. I would guess to the right (holding the tx) is throttle up, but I'm not using an electric motor so can't tell. (Guess I could with a VOM on the rx, but I already heatshrinked the motor leads.)

If you are not using an electric motor you do not use the speed
controller with it's built in BEC. Use 4.8v or 6v nimh to power
receiver through a switch or on very small model directly into
receiver. Use short extension lead into receiver and plug your
nimh into this.
If you are not using electric motor I suppose you are using an ic
engine with throttle. In which case plug your throttle servo
into receiver in whichever port in the receiver allows
servo to move when you move throttle slider.
Observe throttle on engine to determine which slider position
allows throttle to fully open.
Note I do not have an Icon transmitter so don't know which
position of slider manufacturer intended to be high and low.
Hope the foregoing helps. John

Yes, I forgot to say that I won't be using an electric motor. The boat (an airboat/swamp buggy) will be powered by a Cox Babe Bee with an r/c carby and a rudder of course - hence 2 channels will suffice. I'm figuring that I'll insulate the motor wires and just tuck them out of the way.

I'll have an Icon receiver in the boat with 2 Icon micro servos and the Cox 7.2v NiMH battery pack which came with the rx/tx kit from Bernie. The Servos specifically state on them that they require 4.8 to 6.0 volts, but I s'pose, looking at it, that I'm really just querying if the receiver has BEC circuitry built-in so it can handle the applied 7.2v. I think I've read now that it will.

Many thanx for the responses,
Dins.

XLNT Dins
Don't forget to post pics and a utube when you get it going.
J

Sorry if I was not clear but receiver will NOT have Bec built in but the
speed controller will. Use your 7.2v Nimh to power speed controller
and take the small lead from speed controller and plug into a spare slot in
receiver this will give you the 4.8v you need for receiver.
Insulate the motor wires coming from speed controller.
John

I think the Icon receiver has both BEC and ESC built in. At least that is what I deduce (or is it induce?? ). The receiver has pos/neg leads for the supplied 7.2 v NiMH battery, separate pos/neg leads for the (original) Warbird electric motor and 2 sets of servo pins for channels 1 & 2. (As noted above, original Cox servos are 4.8 to 6.0 v.)

Wishful thinking: wonder if it's possible to capture the throttle signal before it gets to the ESC and use it to drive a throttle servo? There isn't a prominent 'Cut here for Throttle Servo' label on the pc board, so I don't have a clue.

'nother question: Has anyone used this tx/rx set on a nitro powered plane and if so, how did it stand up to the vibration?

Bernie, your blood's worth bottling . Many, many thanx.
Kev

ahrma_581 wrote:I think the Icon receiver has both BEC and ESC built in. At least that is what I deduce (or is it induce?? ). The receiver has pos/neg leads for the supplied 7.2 v NiMH battery, separate pos/neg leads for the (original) Warbird electric motor and 2 sets of servo pins for channels 1 & 2. (As noted above, original Cox servos are 4.8 to 6.0 v.)

Yes you're exactly right. I'm sorry, I guess I just assumed that most here would know about the Cox Icon radio control. Much thanx for all the input everybody.

Dins

Just had a read of the manual Bernie posted. Whatever you do, don't let that beast escape again. That answers all my Icon questions, and probably anyone else's too.

!00%